Apparatus for carrying on metallurgical operations.



APPLICATION FILED JULYZO. 1914. RENEWEDJUNEZQ. 1918.y

Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

Wwvweme 4 5 MA Q H M. m

t, v s Reu i JOHN J BERCKE, OF MEEION, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FR CRRYNG Ol-'MTALLURGCAL QPEE-LIGNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Aug.. 2?, li

Application .filed Julv 20, 1914;, Serial No. 851.384. Renewed June 29, 1913. Serial ro. Qliz.

To @ZZ Q1: 7mm. t may concern.'

Be it knownv that l, Jour.' J. Bohemian, acitizen of the United States, residing at Merion, inthe county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented cerv tain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Carrying on liletallurgical Oper.u ations, oat which the following is a specication.

rlhis invention has reference to apparatus for carrying out metallurgical loperations, such,. tor example, as the reduction of metals from'their-ores and ori'ids. One of the primary' objects'ot' my invention is to obtain through a series oi' successive operations,

uniformity inthe product to be reduced.

' in Dret'erred form in the accom an ine' D drawing, Whereinl Figure lfis a vertical section through my improved apparatus;-and Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line lll-H of Fig. l.

lllhile my invention can be utilized in carrying out a number of dierent reduction processes, -it is primarily adapted for use in connection with the reduction of metals by lwhat is known as the aluminothermic process, and l Will therefore describe it in connection'with such process.

In the aluminothermic reduction of metals, the ore or compound which is to be reduced is mixed WithV aluminum or 4other reducing agent having a strong affinity for oxygen, and a reaction is instituted in a. portion of the mass, preferably by igniting a small ortion of the mixture, the reaction spreading from this ignited portion throughout the mass. l prefer, however, to practice lthe aluminothermic reduction according to the method defined in my (3o-pending application Serial No.'85l ,885 tiled July 20, 1914, this method in briefconsisting in placing a relatively small Quantity of a mixture of the compound and a reducing agent in a Crucible, then in igniting such mixture and in feeding intothecrucible, under control,

additional quantities of the mixturewhich is placed, for example; in a bin or hopper so as to have a gravity feed.

Referring to the drawings, 'l have indicated a Crucible 7 Which is carried on a truck S riding on the tracks 9. rllhe track 9 passes through my improved cabinet device, which -is in .eiiect a closed chamber divided into two compartments, A and B, by a baftleivall l0. The tracks 9' pass throughthe chamber A which is provided With doors 11 and l2 respectively arranged on opposite sides of the chamber. Arranged adjacent to one side of the chamber A is a framework 13 which supports a bin 14 and a platform 'l5 on which an operator stands. A discharge spout 16' leads from the binto the interior ot' the chamber A, passing through a slot or-` opening i7 formed in the side of the chamber A.. The discharge from the spout 16 is controlled by the operator by means of the valvular device 18 and handle '19. condensing 4.pipe 2O leads from the lower portion'of the chamber B to, the exterior of thecabinet, a draft being created therein by ineens of an' exhaust fan 21.

The operatron is as follows: A crucible 7 containing a small quantity of a 'mixture of the compound to be reduced and aluminum, is rolled into the chamber A, and the doors ll and l2 arel closed..` The mixture in' the crucible is then ignited by. throwing a lighted taper through the opening 17 into the Crucible, and after the reaction has started,-

the operator-by manipulating the valvular device 1S-feeds additional quantities of a mixture of the compound and aluminum intothe crucihle as fast as may be required, the reaction spreading from the ignited portion to the material being added. When the crucible is suihciently hlled, the feed is cut oit, and the reaction ceases, after which one'of the doors is opened and the Crucible rolled out and a new one brought inplace. n

practice, A prepare enough material to ill tour or five or Sometimes even a greater number of crucibl'es. The length oi the runs, vhowever, isi, entirely -dependent upon the quantity of. the metal to be reduced.

lt will' be seen that in producing one of the rarer metals with given percentages of the l various constituents, it. is of the-utmost importance to carry on the successive lreductions under conditions as nearly alike as is possible in order to 'obtain va uniformity-of 'the resultant product and in order to elimi- .iro h inasmuch as the heat generated in the reduc-- tion is extremely intense. Manual control ot the tee( is advantageous and practically requisite because the reduction spreads troni beneath upward troni a relatifel)v small initial quantity-- lt either too inuch or toc little additional material is 'fed into the Crucible, the results will not he satisfactory. The opening l? provides a means whereby the operator can determine the condition et the reaction taking4 place., while at the saine time he is adequai'ielj,r shielded from the heat. The tuines git/'en oit during,` the reunetion are drawn into the chamber B over the baffle wall and thence into` the. condensing pipe 2Oi any excess amount thereotroeing hausted into the atmosphere. Ey this coinhniation of reducing); cabinet aiil condenserthe operator is protected trein the uiiies' and it is also possible to recover certainl values ot the .material to reduced which are contained in the fumes. This can be accomplished hy a method suoli as defined nl iny ctn-pending application Seriallalo. Sl filed duly 2Gy claire:

Il. An apparatus for carrying' out nietaln lnrgical operations comprising` in Combination a substantially inclosed reducing chainv her haring nieans for introducing a container, teedingv means for supplying inate rial troni the eziterior of the chantier to the container iin said chamber, and means operable troni the Aexterior the eli s for controlling the supply of material to the container.

Q. An apparatus for carrying out metallurgical operations comprising in combination a substantially inclosed reducing cahinet haring' means for introducing a crueible, a hopper having a discharge spout leading into the cabinet, and a valvular control means for controlling' the discharge operable troni the exterior of the cabinet.

3. n apparatus for carrying out nietallurgical ope ations comprising in combination a substantially inclosed Chamber divided into a reducing compartment and fume collecting` compartment, a door in the reducing compartment for introducing a Crucible, a hopper having a discharge spout extending` into the said reducinga compartinent, and ine-ans operable from the exterior to control the non' troni the discharge spout.

An apgaiatus for carrying1 out nietallurgical operations comprising in combination'a substantially inclosed chamber, a baflo wall dividing` the chamber into two connect-Ing compartments, one a reducing compartment having ineans for introducing a erucible and the other a fume collecting compartment, a condensing` pipe opening from the collecting` compartment., a feed `pipe leading into the reducing conipartinentv and means operable from the exterior of the reducing compartment for controlling the 'feed tnr ongli the feed pige. ln testimony whereof i have hereunto signed inf; naine 1n the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

JOHN J. BOERCKE. 

